New Dutchess County jail on budget, schedule, according to the comptroller

The construction of the Dutchess County Law Enforcement Center is on budget and on schedule, according to a report from county Comptroller Robin Lois.

The Law Enforcement Center is 40 percent finished, and is on target for its substantial completion and staff relocation in November. The Justice and Transition Center, which will house inmates, is in its design phase, and design approval is expected in January. All phases of its construction are expected to be completed by July 2023.

The project is not expected to exceed its $200 million budget.

“As this capital project is the largest ever undertaken by Dutchess County government, it is rightly a project of great concern to the taxpayers,” Lois said in a statement. “And it is important to keep everyone informed as to the spending, vendor contracts and construction timeline during the projects.”

“Comptroller Robin Lois’ report is an informative overview of the project to date, detailing many aspects of the planning process and the careful expenditure of funding approved by the Dutchess County Legislature. As the comptroller’s report outlines, residents can be confident the project is on schedule and on budget,” Molinaro said.

“As the construction of the Law Enforcement Center and the design of the Dutchess County Justice and Transition Center move forward, we will continue to engage in a transparent and fiscally responsible process," he added. "The end result will be efficient, modern facilities that provide the necessary space to expand the county’s innovative restorative-justice programs to better transition inmates back into the community and decrease future recidivism as well as provide taxpayers with annual operational savings.”

Six years ago, the county's Criminal Justice Council examined the need to expand the jail and build a new campus-style transitional center. Funding was appropriated in 2013 and plans for the new jail were developed.

In March 2016, the county Legislature approved funding for the project.